


Exposed

by BuddyTheMeanPeacock



Category: Fire Emblem Heroes, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Claude is Oblivious, Dimitri and Edelgard Get Caught, Gen, Lysithea is this close to Actually Blowing Up For Real, Other, cyl fic lol, protective "little sister"
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-29
Updated: 2020-10-29
Packaged: 2021-03-09 06:20:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27270094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BuddyTheMeanPeacock/pseuds/BuddyTheMeanPeacock
Summary: It was supposed to be a nice celebration for winning... something. That is not quite what happens.
Comments: 8
Kudos: 59





	Exposed

Lysithea felt awkward.

Askr was a fascinating place. Calling forth people - warriors, specifically - from all sets of life, from differing timelines, even completely different dimensions. It made it to where anyone can meet anyone. Descendents meet their generations old progenitors. One can meet _oneself_.

And one can meet those who have died in one's own timeline.

That is the case she has encountered - and eventually Claude as well, once he comes back. They've both received the strange call to this strange land - at the same time, so she knows this Claude to be the one she personally knows. They've… won something. Some sort of popularity competition? Whatever the case may be, they're here, in their best clothes for the occasion. Here in her lonely seat in the booth as she waited for Claude to return. They came to the tavern early, a principle of Lysithea's that Claude chose to indulge in, and sat next to each other in the booth. He'd left to procure the on-the-house drinks the winners are being given.

The winners. Her. Claude.  
Dimitri.  
Edelgard.

These two people, in their armor that was significantly more intimidating than her's or Claude's, were… well, unsettling, to say the least. The surprise the two let show at seeing each other was followed by a palpable, uncomfortable tension as they sat down next to each other. The silence that overcame the table felt like an anchor on their ankles, dragging any attempt at conversation down to the ocean floor. She wished that Claude would come back already…

…  
…  
…

"... um… congratulations on winning, you two."

The two snapped their focus on her. She didn't flinch - a flush of pride rose and fell in her chest at her resilience. She just _couldn't_ bear the quiet any longer.

Edelgard was the first to soften her gaze. It juxtaposed against the harsh black feathers at her shoulders quite strikingly. "Ah, my apologies, Lysithea. It was rude of me to ignore you."

Dimitri nods, his massive furs making him look akin to a wise lion from some mystic fairytale. "I agree. I hope you will forgive my poor manners."

And with the attention on her, the silence was broken. Lysithea didn't usually take to being the center of attention well, but if it stopped such an unbearable moment to happen again she would play along as long as she needed.

And it turns out, there was little playing on her part that was needed. This Edelgard and this Dimitri were a far cry from the heartless warlord and feral beast she knew of in her timeline. They asked her quite a lot of questions, most of which about contrasts to the Lysithea's they knew. They were the epitome of politeness, waiting patiently for her to finish any long winded answers. They complimented her on her Gremory certification, and on the custom dress the Deer had commissioned for her in honor of this event. It was honestly… quite pleasant. The two leaders' company was nice when unriddled with war.

"Ahh, I see it's true then!"

Lysithea jumped at the unexpected but familiar voice. The Alliance leader held in each hand two tankards. She didn't smell any alcohol; fine enough. Getting inebriated wasn't a particularly enjoyable pastime of hers. "Claude!" She glared at him, which only earned her a cheeky grin. "Where on earth have you been?"

He shrugged. "You know me, Lysithea! I just _had_ to ask around the place." He placed the tankards down and sat with Lysithea in the booth, his gaze softening when he turned to the other two winners. "Nice to see you two," he says.

Lysithea felt a small smile creep on her face at the sight. Yes, she remembers now; Claude was quite shaken up by Dimitri and Edelgard's deaths, though there was nothing that could be done to save them. She couldn't understand why, having never met the two herself. Now that she has - or some version of them, at least - she thinks she can. If they acted anything like they do now back in the academy it was no wonder Claude mourned for them when otherwise he managed to keep his emotions to himself. She turned back to face the two other leaders -

Staring at Claude's chest.

Lysithea held back a gasp. She couldn't believe what she was seeing, They were so… _blatant!_ They didn't even attempt to hide where their eyes landed, or keep them from widening. And Claude wasn't even saying anything! He kept talking as though the two in front of him were actually listening and not gawking at him like dogs eyeing steak. The nerve of them, really!

She watched on as Claude kept going. He really _isn't_ going to say anything, is he?

Well, she is.

"His eyes are up _here_ , you know," she states, pointing to Claude's face.

Claude looked down to her, a little surprised. Edelgard snapped her eyes straight on Lysithea, a slight blush on her wide-eyed face. _Dimitri_ was another thing entirely: he jumped, his face, ears, and neck completely red at the call out.

"A-Ah! My deepest and most sincere apologies, Claude!" He says, that regal lion from before now a stumbling kitten. At least he was looking at Claude's eyes now.

Edelgard coughs into her hand but otherwise says nothing to defend herself. _As if she could._

Claude bucks out a short laugh towards Dimitri. “Why are you apologizing?”

What?! She snapped her head to her leader. “What do you mean _why?!_ “

He just shook his head. “Lysithea, Lysithea,” he said in that tone that made her want to punch him, “I think you’re misunderstanding something. Obviously they’re admiring my gear!” After boldly declaring something so devastatingly wrong he turns to the guilty king and emperor. “I know I can’t take my eyes off that cape and feathers on them myself.”

“Why thank you,” Edelgard picks up naturally - the nerve! “The regalia of the Adrestian empire is truly something to-”

“SHUT UP!” Lysithea ignored the jump from everyone at the table because dammit it this is infuriating! “Stop pretending like you weren’t staring! I _saw_ you!”

She felt a hand on her shoulder. “Lysithea, relax! You’re overreacting, they didn’t do anything!”

She snatched her shoulder from his grip. “Overreacting?! My parents always told me that if someone stared at _my_ chest I should blast them for being creeps, and if those two were anyone else I would! And I know _you_ would have poisoned them to next week!” She set her glare on the two in question, Edelgard not meeting her eye and Dimitri _actually_ looking like he could set the tavern on fire. Good. It’s what he deserves. “You two should know better!”

Edelgard was silent.

“I-I-!” Dimitri started to say.

“It’s different for you!” Lysithea swerved her head to look at Claude again, who almost looked angry if not for the smile making his lips twitch. “What exactly are they gonna look at with me, huh?”

“ _This!_ ” And she jabs a finger at his open chest.

Claude just sighed and _patted her head oh Goddess help her_ “Lysithea, I’m going to give you a lesson: there’s nothing there for anyone to look at. No one’s gonna look at this,” and he gestures to his chest, “and start drooling or whatever. Right guys?” He looks across the table.

Edelgard takes the rope given to her and starts climbing with a smooth “Yes” that made Lysithea want to explode, with the only thing dampening the explosion being the ever-so-slight red ears the emperor had, easy to miss if not looked for directly.

Dimitri, however, somehow got his neck tangled with his rope, because he was choking hard. “A-Ah, I, I-I-”

Ha! This Dimitri couldn’t lie to save his life! Surely Claude could now see the truth-

“Ah don’t worry Dimitri. I know you didn’t do anything.”

WHAT?

_WHAT?_

“ ** _WHAT?!_** ” The scream left her mouth unbidden and she couldn’t give a good goddess damn because WHAT.

A long snort came from Claude, him covering his mouth before anything else could leave it. Sharp, high-pitched inhalations of breath broke up the monotony of the piggish sounds, which kept for a moment before he finally actually said something. “ _Ly-Lysiiiiithea_ ,” he wheezed, tears in his eyes, “ _please *SNORT* stop_ , th-they said themselves-”

“I HEARD EDELGARD LIE OUT OF HER ASS AND DIMITRI GO “UHM, UH, I, UH” THAT’S NOT ANYTHING!! HE **_LITERALLY_** APOLOGIZED!”

“OFCOURSEHEDIDYOUPUTHIMONTHES-S-S-SPOT!” The words rush out of Claude’s mouth, nearly too fast to be understood, a laugh nearly disallowing him to finish but Lysithea understood it and it was STUPID.

_“BECAUSE HE WAS OGLING YOU! THEY BOTH WERE! I SAW IT!”_

_“YOU DIDN’T SEE ANYTHING!”_

_“YES I DID!”_

And so the “celebration” went on, the two of them from the Golden Deer shouting at one another and drawing quite the amused crowd as Lysithea’s mind very quickly eroded. Edelgard sat where she was, keeping quiet, knowing this to be a rare moment where silence seemed the best option, her urge to save face fought down solely by her stalwart will. Dimitri was dying, his face literally, actually, factually, _**beat** red_ as the accusations of being a lecher (though not quite exactly what was said, though close) rebounded and ricocheted throughout his mind.

All in all, an interesting first day at Askr.

**Author's Note:**

> I've been meaning to write this for a while (when the CYL winners were announced lmaoooo very late) but here it is now :P Aka, the fic where I indulge in my "Lysithea is a protective little sister in regards to Claude" headcanon lol
> 
> Bonus:
> 
> Claude POV:
> 
> Man, Lysithea can be something else. He knew she had a bite to her, but damn! She's really bringing the hammer down on these two for literally doing nothing wrong. He'd try to calm her down... but he was too busy laughing at how MAD she was getting. Her red face matched her purple clothes so well! How could he help himself but laugh?
> 
> Edelgard POV:
> 
> Well, this is utterly humiliating. As though it were not bad enough she had actually _looked_ at Claude in such a way - for she always saw the man as handsome but these clothes... _accentuated_ him far nicer than his other set could ever do - but to be _caught_ as well? She can only sigh in relief that Claude seemed oblivious to the matter, despite Lysithea's adamant stance.
> 
> Dimitri POV:
> 
> Oh Goddess. Oh no. He hadn't meant to- it was- _Claude_ is so- but that is no excuse- oh no. How could he? Miss Ordelia was right to be angered. He looked. He looked! Claude's- his- his _u-upper torso_ was so- _inviting._ He was sorry! He was so sorry!


End file.
